Mechanical toy.



4 E. J. PEARCE. MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1908.

Patented Dec. 14%, 1909.

UNITED STATES EDWIN JAMES PEARCE,

NEW BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 23, 1908.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909. Serial No. 468,973.

To all whom it may concern: 1 Be it known that I, EDWIN JAMES PEARCE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of 55 Victoria road, New Brighton, in the county of Cheshire, England, photographer, have invented a new or Improved Mechanical Toy, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new or improved mechanical toy which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and extremely effective and amusing while in use.

The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention.

In order to carry out my invention I take a length of sufliciently stout steel wire and at the center of its length I bend it so that the two sides lie parallel with each other with the exception of a loop or ring which is formed at the junction of the bend. The two parallel wires I then carefully twist upon themselves to form a continuous and even, somewhat elongated, helical thread, as clearly shown at a in Figure l of the drawing. Upon this thread I fit a washer 6 (shown on a larger scale in Fig. 2) the opening 0 through which is of a corresponding shape to the double twisted wire in end section,

but fitting freely thereon so that when the wire is held in a vertical position the washer will fall by its own weight to the lower end, revolving in its downward course a corresponding number of times to the number of twists in the wire. A ring or loop of thin flat metal (Z is also fitted upon the wire a, the latter being threaded or passed through two holes at e, f in the circumference of the ring and the revolving washer 6 being situated upon the wire upon the inner circumference of the ring. A second ring 9 is also threaded upon the wire in a similar manner but arranged partly within the first ring and resting upon the revolving washer at h. Beneath the rings and washer arranged as described I fit upon the twisted wire a loose sleeve or collar 2' which can easily slide up and down the wire when desired. The loose sleeve and the rings and revolving washer being arranged upon the wire in the manner described, the upper end of the w' e is then bent over to form a stop and may have attached to it one or more bells or other devices, as indicated at 7'.

It will be understood that in order to am range the rings upon the wire in the way described their ends must be joined either be fore or after they have been fitted upon the wire and this may be effected by soldering or by other convenient means.

By holding the wire with the rings in a vertical position and sharply pushing the loose sleeve upward the washer is caused to revolve and by its friction against the inner side of the lower ring and the outer side of the upper ring a rapid revolution is imparted to the two rings until the upper end of the wire is reached when they fall by their own weight still continuing to revolve in the same direction until they reach the lower end of the wire. The washer on the contrary returns to its normal position by revolving in the reverse direction on its downward course but having no perceptible effect upon the revolving rings.

By quickly raising and lowering the sliding sleeve a rapid and continuous revolution is imparted to the rings, the latter taking the appearance of two distinct globes or spheres and a very beautiful effect is produced.

The outer sides of the rings may be orna mented by coloring in any desired way, the effect when the rings are revolving being thus considerably enhanced, and the rings themselves may be made somewhat pear shaped or otherwise.

The details of my novel mechanical toy and the materials of which it is composed may obviously be varied to suit varying circumstances such as the price at which the article is to be sold and the like. For instance, it is obvious that two or more sets of rings may be similarly arranged upon the same w1re.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mechanical toy comprising in combination a helically twisted wire, interlinked rings slidably and rotatably mounted thereon, a washer between said rings for rotating the same upon the thread formed on the wire and a sleeve for imparting longitudinal motion to said washer.

2. A mechanical toy comprising in combination a helically twisted w' e, interlinked rings slidably and rotatably mounted thereon, a washer in frictional engagementwith said rings for rotating the rings on the thread formed by the twisted wire, said rings being adapted to rotate more rapidly than said Washer and means for im nartin mounted on said stem for movin the rin s 10 b b longltudinal motion to said washer and said and Washer along said stem to effect rotarings. tion thereof.

3. A mechanical toy comprising in com- In Witness whereof I have hereunto set bination, a threaded stem rings rotatable my hand in the presence of two Witnesses. and loosely mounted thereon, a Washer fric- EDWIN JAMES PEARCE tionally engaging said rings and having Vitnesses: threaded engagement With said stem for re- D. K. BOYLE,

volving said rings, and a member slidably ALFRED G. BRATTON. 

